White Wings

Chapter 14

Zev spent the afternoon telling me stories about the time when he and Layton were kids. I listened intently, absorbing every word he said.

"I always thought our packs would merge once we took over as Alphas," Zev said.

"You did?" I questioned, trying to consider the possibility.

"It made sense back then. Layton and I, we were brothers," Zev said, a sad tone taking over his voice.

After that, he told me more about shifting. He even mentioned why most of them had skipped a year of school.

"It happens when we turn sixteen," he said. "Our Wolf acts up and starts going wild."

The Wolf inside of them matured when they turned sixteen. It had happened before that a Wolf overpowered the human side, so they needed to thread carefully during that period. The rebellion usually lasted a few months, but they were kept under watch for longer, just as a precaution.

Zev smiled at me knowingly when I mentioned mates.

"He told you, huh?"

"Layton said I was his mate," I replied, feeling the heat rising in my neck and cheeks.

I was embarrassed to talk about boys. I felt even more embarrassed talking about boys, with a boy who happened to be Zev.

"It's true," Zev said. His eyes roamed around my face, like he was searching for something.

"I needed confirmation," I admitted.

"Are you okay with it?" Zev questioned.

"At first, but now I have a lot to think about."

"Why?" He asked.

"Layton is complicated." That was putting it easy.

"Trust me, Layton's not that bad. He might be with some people, but he won't be that way with you. A Wolf could never hurt his mate," Zev said.

His words put me at ease, but I couldn't let go of some reservations I still had towards Layton.

"Layton doesn't like that I'm not a Werewolf. He said Alphas are supposed to be the strongest, and well, I'm me," I told Zev, wanting to have a second opinion.

I didn't want to make a mistake by staying with Layton if I wasn't important to him, or if he had been willing to give up on me because he thought I was weak.

"He said that?" Zev asked, sounding irritated.

"Well, he didn't say it with those words. But he implied it."

"Layton won't be able to stay away from you, no matter how hard he tries."

"You make it seem like he only wants to be with me because I'm his mate," I flatly stated, not liking at all how Zev had phrased that comment. Zev laughed at my words, running his hand over my cheek softly.

"Layton cares a lot about you. He might even love you already. He just has a weird way of thinking some times. But don't think that just because you two are mates you have to be with him." Zev told me.

"Hey Zev?"

"What's up?" He asked. We had been in my room for a while and he was looking through one of my photo albums.

"Do you have a mate?" I asked him.

He grinned at me widely, before fuzzing up my hair. I slapped his hand away, but it only made him laugh out loud.

"No, I don't," he replied, smiling happily.

"You sound too smug about it. Shouldn't you be upset that you don't?" I asked.